A New Dimension
by Black-Cat-Max
Summary: Will agrees to help Irma with an extra credit History assignment in exchange for some information about a girl they know. Little does she suspect that the result will teach her a few things about the bond the two girls share. Light shoujo ai.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: Fanfics are like LEGOs, y'know? Even when you build something out of them and say "I made this", you know that you didn't make the blocks. In plain English, I'm saying that this is my story, but not my characters, settings, etc. That's all Disney/SIP stuff.

"A New Dimension"

It was another run-of-the-mill day in Heatherfield, which naturally meant that the five Guardians of the Veil were recuperating from a recent joust with the forces of evil. For their illustrious leader, this recuperation took the form of a re-reading of a favorite book, The Wind in the Willows.

"Why do I like this story again?" Will asked.

"Because you like frogs", the author replied.

"But the guy in this story is a toad."

"Look, just read the book and stop breaking the fourth wall." The author continued poking at his keyboard. "And answer the phone."

"Wha..." Will was cut short by her phone ringing. She picked it up, muttering something about 'bloody fanfic authors'.

"Heya Will!" It was none other than Irma, Guardian of Water. "I need your help. Got this History assignment that's giving me fits. Can I drop by? I know you're better at this stuff..."

"Oh great, straight from a failed search for the Seal of Phobos to hammering meaning out of the exploits of a bunch of dead white guys. How could I resist?"

"Aww, please?" Irma played up her ingratiating tone of voice. "I'll make it worth your while, I promise! I've got some information I think you'd really like..."

"Huh? What's that?"

"You want to know? Great! I'll be over soon!" The smile on Irma's face just before she hung up could almost be heard through the phone.

"Fantastic", Will thought. Somehow she knew she'd have a headache before the night was over.


	2. Chapter 2

---

Less than half an hour later, they both sat on Will's bedroom floor with books open all around. They both poured over the given chapters, and Irma constantly scribbled in her notebook. Timelines, important locations, famous world leaders, and various other facts all made grist for their mental mills.

"Okay", Irma said as she finished skimming a chapter. "The Germans followed Hitler for the same reason the French followed Napoleon - they were charismatic leaders who promised great things for their nations, even though they wound up losing in the end."

"...and you're going to try to tie Julius Caesar into all this too? You've got a real appetite for punishment!" Will leafed through a book on Rome. "What's this whole thing going to be for, anyway?"

Irma didn't look up from the book as she spoke. "Well, mom said that it would be a really bad thing if my grade didn't get a little boost."

"What kind of bad?"

"Y'know those oldies CDs she has lying around? Like, that's-all-I-get-to-listen-to-at-home bad."

Will shivered. "Eww. How could your own mother threaten you with something like that?"

"I didn't want to ask." Irma looked up and taped the notebook with her pencil. "So long story short, I asked for a chance to turn things around. The teacher was so overjoyed that I seemed to want to do better that he said I could pick a theme in History and write up a report on it."

"So you chose charismatic historic leaders, eh?"

"Yep."

"How long does it have to be?"

Irma put her chin in her hand thoughtfully. "I don't know... I didn't think to ask for a length requirement. I guess it'll just have to be 'long enough'. Y'know, like that essay on the last test?"

"Eww again."

---

Another hour passed filled with book skimming and note taking, with the occasional bit of talk over this or that factoid. Eventually Will stood up and stretched.

"Okay," she said, "I need a snack."

"Me too", Irma said as she set the various paper materials aside. "Plus, if I sit here like this one more minute I might never be able to move again."

"I'm thinking cookies."

"And I'm thinking that's enough of all this for one night. In fact, more like enough for a lifetime."

Will headed downstairs. Irma stayed behind and paced lightly. 'Don't worry', she told herself. 'This'll be easy. Just be honest and forthright and it'll be just fine.' She held up her hands and examined them. 'And don't shake when you say it. That never helps.'

Will returned a few minutes later with a dish of cookies, and set them on her desk.

"Ooh, are those the chocolate-cream wafer kind?" Irma's face practically lit up. "Those are the best in the world!"

"Yep. Mom found them on sale the other day when we were shopping." Will held one up. "Who would have thought the perfect food would come two-for-one on Tuesdays?"

The next few lines of conversation were interspersed with crunches to the extent that neither girl was all that clear on what was being said, so we'll just leave them out for simplicity's sake.

"Now then, I think you owe me some information."

Irma gulped. It was now-or-never time. "Oh yeah, that. I heard this rumor about a girl we know."

"Who?"

The brunette held up a finger. "I'll get to that. Anyway, this girl's got a crush on someone. A good friend of hers, in fact. And get this - she hasn't told this friend about it yet."

"Well, why not? Too shy?"

"Maybe. Or she might also be afraid that if this friend doesn't feel the same way, they might not be friends any more, y'know? That things would get weird."

"I'd have to say that makes sense." Will took a seat at the desk. "So who's the guy you're after?"

Will was treated to a rarity; Irma's face went perfectly blank. "I... huh?"

"Come on now", Will said with a smile. "First of all, I know you well enough to know only someone in our circle would be important enough to talk about like this. Plus, honestly, has that 'I know someone who...' bit fooled anyone since, like, sixth grade?"

Irma wore a slight blush for a few moments, but it quickly faded and she giggled out loud. "Wow, Will, you're a clever one! Or you would be if I was really talking about myself."

"You're not? I don't know if I believe that..."

The Water Guardian faked a pouty look. "Are you saying that your best friend in the whole world would lie to you? I'm so... so hurt!"

"Oh alright, alright!" Will put her hands up in mock exasperation. "Regardless of whether or not it's you that you're talking about, will you at least tell me who the lucky victim is?"

"Well, I certainly could I suppose... but I don't know if you'd believe it."

"Oh, of course." Will rolled her eyes. "I've got a magical amulet hidden under my shirt that has the power to close portals between two different worlds, and my four best friends and I are magical super-heroes. I'm one hard-core skeptic."

Irma smiled and sighed. "Okay then, let's just say this. If this girl I'm talking about was me... and I'm not saying it is..." She stepped over to the desk and leaned forward enough to rest her elbows on it and look Will straight in the eyes. "I'd say the object of her unrequited affection is looking her right in the face."

For a moment the room was like a picture, without any motion or sound. With Irma standing there smiling with her chin in her hands, and Will sitting at the desk with a look that beautifully demonstrated the change from confusion to dawning realization, it would have made a lovely addition to any scrap book. As it was, however, it merely stretched for a few seconds before Will found her voice again.

"Wait a second..."


	3. Chapter 3

---

Will paused for a few moments, as though making sure she hadn't missed something. "You've got a crush... on... me?"

Irma's smile didn't waver. "Yup, you got it."

"Okay, just so I'm clear on this, we're talking about a girl with a crush on another girl?"

"Sounds pretty strange, I know..."

She made a dismissive gesture. "Nah, believe me, it makes perfect sense."

"Well, I'll try to..." Irma did a double take. "Wait, it makes sense?"

"Sure. I mean, it makes sense if you think about it." Will started walking in circles around her friend. "First of all, you never miss a chance to hug one of us, or blow a kiss, or something like that. Nobody does that anywhere near as much as you do."

Irma knew that in any other situation she could whip out a witty retort, but something about how Will had turned their roles in the conversation around so quickly seemed to derail her. So all she managed was "I do?"

"You sure do. And then there's how you came about this close to groping Cornelia that day you told us about signing up for the Extreme Games, right?"

Irma blushed. "But... that wasn't what I was trying to do! Honest! I was just excited about it!"

Will gave her best imitation of Irma's disarming smile. "Hey, it's okay! I'm just saying. Anyway, there's also the time you got Hay Lin to be your 'date' for the school dance... y'know, the day that whole "trance marcher" thing went down?" She leaned closer, stealing another of Irma's trademarks - the mischievous smirk. "Were you testing the waters with her?"

"That was just because neither of us could find anyone else!"

"Oh, right, of course." Will never thought she was all that good at looking sly, but the moment clearly demanded it, so she gave it her best shot. "...and when we transform, well, it doesn't leave much to the imagination, does it?"

Silence reigned over the next few seconds, while Will waited for a reaction. The one she got, though - Irma nearly falling over in a laughing fit - definitely wasn't the one she expected. "Okay, better tell me what joke I missed there."

Irma took a moment to sit back down on the bed and regain composure. "I'm sorry... Heh heh... That look on your face was priceless! I wish I had a camera!" Will facepalmed, and Irma put a finger under her chin to make their eyes meet again. "Now then, I forgot... who was doing the explaining here?"

"Well, at first glance it looks like I am." Will sat again too and rested her chin in her hands. "But if you want to give it a try, go ahead and explain away."

"Good." Irma stood from the bed and started pacing the room. "Let's go from the beginning. I'd say it all started about last month. Hay Lin and I were talking, and she started going on about comics. You know how she gets when she talks about something she likes."

Will nodded. "She could be a teacher."

"Exactly. So anyway, she goes on for a bit, and then she says something I hadn't thought of before. Y'know what the hardest thing for comic super heroes is, besides saving the world and all that? Dating! Can you imagine?" She struck a dramatic pose and did her best impression of a super hero's deep voice. "Sorry Samantha, but I have to cancel dinner tonight. Why? Well, um, laundry. I have to take a suit of mine to the dry cleaners."

Will looked ponderous for a second. "I get it... You'd be copping out of things and ditching plans left and right because there'd always be new crimes to fight and all that."

"You hit the nail on the head." Irma gave a thumbs-up. "So, what's the solution to that problem? If you're a super hero, you try to get together with someone who understands what you are and what you do."

"Someone like Caleb?" Will leaned forward. "He understands."

"...and is so obviously infatuated with Cornelia..."

"Oh yeah. Okay, so reason number one is that we have the magical hero thing."

Another nod. "Mm-hmm."

Will paused a moment to process the idea. Odd as the overall concept seemed, she had to admit the way Irma explained their Guardian duties as a reason made as much sense as anything could. "So then, why a girl?"

Irma smirked. "There are parts to it. Take this for example." She ran one finger down Will's side, from about navel level to below the hip. Will squirmed slightly in response. "You see this line? The shape of this area of the body?" She repeated the motion on herself. "There's something about the shape of this line that just looks... attractive. The way it curves out a little near the hip, y'see? Boys just aren't built like that." She placed her hands on her hips. "There's also the way a girl walks. If you stand in the hall and look at the girls and the boys walking around, the girls always look more graceful. Boys walk like they're just doing it because it's the only way to get where they're going." She paced from one side of the room to the other, playing up the plodding steps and letting her arms hang loose.

Will smiled. "You look more like a monster from some horror book."

"So do some boys. Anyway, when you see a girl walk..." She crossed the room again, this time deliberately being smooth and relaxed. "... it's always more fluid, more energetic and yet simple. Like art in sneakers."

Will did an eyeroll. "Uh-huh."

"Glad you agree." Irma twirled some of her brown hair around one finger. "Girls also have this thing about bathing regularly, and I kinda dig that too."

Will giggled in response. "Okay, I guess all that makes sense too. But why..."

"Already one step ahead of you." Irma held up one finger. "Y'know why I've got a crush on you and not, oh, Corny?"

"I couldn't drop a really big rock on your head if I got peeved at you?"

It was Irma's turn to look ponderous. "Okay, y'know why else?"

"Because I know History better than you and I'll help you with the homework?"

"Y'know why else?"

"Because... Mmph!" A hand over her mouth cut Will short again.

"Didn't we have this talk?" Irma smiled as she removed her hand. "If you keep that up we'll be here all night. Of course, I wouldn't complain about that..."

"Okay, okay... why?"

"Because you're like a balancing point for us." She raised one hand and ticked her fingers down one at a time. "Corny's a hothead sometimes, plus she's already after Caleb. Taranee's cute too, but she's so shy that even if she did feel like I do, I'd be lucky to ever get the truth of it out of her. Hay Lin's just a bit too hyper, and a little too chatty. Plus, there are those sneezes..."

Will remembered those all too well. "Let's hope she never winds up with allergies or a cold."

"Exactly." Irma pointed back at Will again. "You, though, you're level all around. That's probably why you've got the Heart out of all of us - you're so stable and balanced. Then there's the fact that you're my teammate, and that naturally means I've learned to trust you more heavily than pretty much anyone else in my life. In fact, we regularly trust each other with our lives, don't we?" She leaned a little closer. "Plus, you're so very pretty..."

That last part threw Will a bit, as her face demonstrated by looking as blank as a movie screen.

"I guess it's time for more explaining." Before a now-blushing Will could respond, she knelt down on the bed and continued "First there's your hair - long hair like Corny's might look elegant, but short hair looks cute. Plus, it's not a common color, like hers or mine; it's red, the color of love." She leaned closer then, until their noses were almost touching. "Then there're your eyes. I never really noticed before, that they're naturally that pretty red-brown. I always thought it was an effect of your hair color." The last words were almost a sigh. "It's enchanting."

Will's mind spent the next two seconds or so in a semi-nervous overdrive. The strangeness of the situation was clear, but it was opposed by the feelings brought up by everything Irma had been saying. She certainly did share a very deep bond with her best friends and fellow Guardians, but she wasn't entirely sure she thought of any of them quite that way. Still, there was something in Irma's eyes, in the look she wore; a smile, but not the sly kind or the mischievous kind that was almost always there. This one was genuinely happy. Caring. And, she realized a second later, more than a little unsure. She obviously wasn't certain just what Will was thinking, but a statement was clearly there; 'it's your move'.

A smile curved the corner of Will's mouth. It was okay - the moment was right. Everything else could be sorted out later. She slowly leaned closer, and was rewarded by a new show of joy in Irma's expression. 'Close your eyes', she told herself silently. 'That's how it's done.'

It wasn't fireworks, like some of the magazines would have said, but it was still a very nice feeling. It was affection, nothing more or less, soft and easy. It took Will a moment to realize that her hands had moved to her friend's shoulders, and that Irma had responded by leaning backward a little, placing a hand of her own behind Will's shoulder-blade and supporting herself with the other.

The moment was nothing short of perfect, which must have been why Irma's mom chose that time to arrive and end it, as announced by Will's mom knocking on the door and causing both their hearts to skip.

"So, meet tomorrow and sort things out?"

"It's a date."

---


	4. Chapter 4

Will checked her clock for the sixth time, and it still wasn't past midnight. Not that it mattered given it was Friday night, but her mind was still trying to figure out the whole situation that had just unfolded and it didn't seem to want to let her rest. It wasn't as if the whole thing had been uncomfortable - far from it. Not only was it all perfectly voluntary, it was nice, and she smiled as the words 'and I'd do it again too' passed through her mind. It wasn't like there was a whole new dimension to her life now; it was just something new that she was adjusting to. In the middle of the night when she'd rather have been sleeping.

'...with her', something in her mind added. She closed her eyes and smiled - that was another new thing. That subtle feeling from before. It was right there as their lips met, as they touched, in that moment when they connected in a way she knew they had never connected to anyone before. It was completely new. And she liked it. There was something about it that reminded her of the first time she ever transformed into a Guardian - a good feeling that, until she felt it, she never would have guessed existed. And like anything good, she reflected, she wanted more.

Now if only it would let her sleep...

Then an idea struck her. She tossed off the bedcovers, got out of bed, and sat cross-legged on the floor. She reached into the collar of her shirt and withdrew the Heart of Candrakar, then held it out in front of her and focused.

"Pord lastra."

There was a momentary glow of pink-purple light, and when she looked up she saw another Will - a perfect duplicate - seated in the same position just a few feet away.

There was a second of silence as Will briefly wondered if there was any point in greeting an astral copy of herself, when undoubtedly they had all the same thoughts. Instead of that, though, she simply cut to the chase. "Do you care if I just call you Drop?" It wouldn't make a huge difference, but it would help keep her from getting tangled with referents.

"Nope." Drop shrugged. "Feel free."

"So..." Will thought about where to start.

"What does it mean?" Drop asked simply.

"I don't know. I guess it technically means a lot of things, doesn't it? Like, it means I obviously like girls... that way."

"I'm not so sure." Drop held up a hand and extended her fingers one by one. "I mean, one, like Irma said, we have a lot more concern and trust for the other Guardians than for just about anyone else, right? And two, she was right about us having a lot more understanding for each other than anybody else likely could. Three, well, she is pretty."

"Yeah, but it's not the same."

"Nope."

"But maybe", Will thought out loud, "it doesn't need to be the same. Maybe there's more to it."

"Like, there's something that comes out of trust, concern, and prettiness, that sort of combines them with some other stuff and creates something new?"

"Yeah. Like looking through a kaleidoscope. You're looking at the same thing, but somehow you're seeing it in new ways and it looks like something new."

Drop nodded. "Like turning mix, eggs, water and oil into a cake."

"Exactly. So it's like, I've... we've... whatever. There's been this bond as friends and the Guardian thing made it deeper. So now this comes along, and now she and I have a little more depth to it again. Just a different kind of depth." The explanation seemed to fit pretty well. "Now I just have to figure out what to call it."

"Love", Drop said simply.

Will frowned for a second, as if the word didn't taste quite right. "I don't know about love."

"Sure you do. You love your mom, right?"

"Of course."

"...and your friends too, in a way, right?"

The point sank in. "Yeah... so it is love. Just a new kind."

"Bingo." Drop smiled. "That didn't take long, did it?"

"Nope. I guess that's the wonderful thing about talking to yourself. No need for a lot of explaining. Thanks." She held the Heart up again. "Astral drop."

After another pink-purple glow, Will was alone in the room again. She climbed back into bed, and spent the remaining few moments before sleep wondering idly where this new development would lead in the future.

Some distance away, by contrast, Irma had been dreaming rather contentedly since hitting the metaphorical sack a few hours before. She would no doubt be surprised in the morning, however, when she awoke to discover that her pillow was beside her wrapped in her arms instead of under her head as it had originally been.

---


	5. Chapter 5

Saturday morning dawned bright and clear, which of course didn't mean anything because neither Will nor Irma was awake before close to noon. When the call was made, though, both were glad to meet at Will's house again before hooking up with the others for the day.

"Will, hon, are you okay in there?" her mom called. "I never knew you to take so long in the bathroom before..."

"I'm fine mom", came the response. "I'll be out soon."

And so she was, just in time to answer the door. It was a perfect compliment to her attempted sly look the night before - whatever Irma had been expecting to see when the door opened, Will - with her hair pulled into a very short pony-tail and wearing a lace skirt and open blouse over her regular t-shirt and jeans - wasn't it. For the moment all was quiet, while Will smiled pleasantly and Irma tried to get her voice working again.

"I... wi... you..."

"Hi", Will said simply as she stepped back so her friend could enter. "How's it going?"

After a few more seconds' silence, Irma regained herself and stepped inside. "Wow... you look spectacular!"

"Will!" Susan called up the stairs again. "Your friend is..."

"Right here, mom."

Her mother started and looked over. "Oh, sorry hon, I didn't notice. You certainly are dressed nicely."

"Thanks." She took her friend's hand. "C'mon Irma, I have to... pick up a few things out of my room."

"More than a few things", her mom muttered.

Irma followed Will into her room, stepped aside so the door could be shut behind her...

...and was wrapped in a gentle hug, which she gladly returned with the addition of a sigh.

They stood there like that for a long moment, until Irma whispered, "So, does this mean a yes to... y'know... us?"

"Hmm..." Will responded softly before taking a step back. "I'd say you're a good fit."

"Want a receipt?"

"Nah, I doubt I'll be taking you back anytime soon."

"Good, because my mom would probably find that creepy."

"Thank you Irma, murderer of seriousness."

They shared a laugh. "So", Irma asked, "does this mean things are going to be different now?"

"I don't think so." Will slipped her backpack over one shoulder. "I mean really... what do you do when you date someone? You go to the mall, go to the movies, go to restaurants, hang out, talk... We do all those things anyhow. We'll just add another thing or two when nobody else is looking." She leaned in close. "Y'know one thing I like about you?"

Irma's pulse quickened - they were nose-to-nose again. "My, um, witty remarks?"

"Your eyes. Such a pretty green..." she closed her eyes slowly. "...like frogs."

Irma felt the urge to laugh clearly, but she wasn't about to let a little giggle spoil a perfectly good kiss. So instead she just closed her eyes and waited for the sweet touch of... felt? She opened her eyes and came face-to-face with Will's plushie frog.

This time it was too much, and she lost it, giggling until Will's hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality. "Methinks I've been had."

"And after all the times you've been the one to do the having, I think it's long overdue." Will returned her frog to the usual spot on her desk, and the two of them went back down and out of the house.

"Y'know, I thought of two things." Irma said as they walked along.

"What's that?"

"Well, first of all, you were right last night." She gave Will the sly smile again. "I do love watching you transform."

A day or two ago Will might have blushed at that revelation, but for the moment she simply kept walking. "And what's the other thing?"

"I need to find a camera. Because when Cornelia sees you looking prettier than her, she's going to have kittens."

END.


End file.
